Netanyahu aide accused of changing 7 October documents

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary: "Netanyahu Aide Accused of Changing 7 October Documents"

Hosted by Jannat Jaleel, BBC World Service

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1. Netanyahu’s Chief of Staff Accused of Document Alteration

Overview: In the wake of the October 7th Hamas attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces severe scrutiny over his response to the crisis. Allegations have emerged that his Chief of Staff, Sahib Raverman, attempted to modify phone records to portray a swifter reaction by Netanyahu than what occurred.

Key Points:

• Court Gagging Order Lifted: The investigation into Raverman began after a court lifted a gagging order, revealing that Raverman was questioned for five hours regarding phone calls on the morning of the attacks ([03:15]).
• Discrepancies in Call Times: Official records indicate a critical call at 6:40 AM. Raverman claims discussions started earlier and altered the call time to 6:29 AM to suggest quicker action ([03:15]).
• Political Ramifications: Netanyahu is concurrently navigating a corruption trial, scheduled for testimony next month. The scandal arrives at a precarious time, potentially destabilizing his government further ([04:59]).

Notable Quotes:

• Jonathan Beale, Jerusalem Correspondent: "The question will obviously be did he do it to make his boss look better, that he was taking action quicker than he did." ([04:30])
• Jannat Jaleel: "It is potentially a very dangerous time for Benjamin Netanyahu." ([06:10])

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2. Ukraine’s Leader Responds to Scholz-Putin Phone Call

Overview: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed strong dissatisfaction following a phone conversation between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelensky views the call as undermining efforts to isolate Russia amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Key Points:

• Call Content: Scholz urged Putin to withdraw Russian troops from Ukraine, with assurances of Germany's support "for as long as necessary" ([06:38]).
• Zelensky’s Stance: Zelensky criticized the dialogue, labeling it an attempt at appeasement that could weaken Ukraine's position ([07:00]).
• Implications for War: Zelensky remains optimistic about a potential shift in U.S. leadership with Donald Trump's possible election victory, believing it could expedite the end of the war ([06:10]).

Notable Quotes:

• Warren Bull: "The call undermined efforts to isolate Russia." ([06:54])
• President Zelensky: "It's not the time for appeasement; we need collective strength." ([07:00])

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3. South Africa’s Standoff with Illegal Miners

Overview: A humanitarian crisis unfolds in Steelfontein, South Africa, where illegal miners are trapped underground, facing starvation as authorities maintain a stringent stance against their detention.

Key Points:

• Miners’ Plight: Hundreds of illegal miners are trapped in a disused mine shaft, with supplies of food and water dwindling ([07:56]).
• Government Response: South Africa’s Police Minister has declined pleas to halt arrests, insisting on a hardline approach to prevent further illegal mining ([07:56]).
• Community Reaction: Protests have erupted, with local residents and relatives demanding a more humane treatment of the miners ([08:25]).

Notable Quotes:

• Meshak Mbangul, National Coordinator: "It's slowly looking like it is going to become a humanitarian crisis." ([07:56])
• Sascha Slichter: "Let's be humane, let's make sure those people are safe." ([07:58])

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4. Protests in Abkhazia Over Russian Real Estate Deal

Overview: In the breakaway region of Abkhazia, demonstrators violently stormed the parliament and presidential complex in opposition to a real estate agreement with Russia, fearing environmental degradation and cultural erosion.

Key Points:

• Nature of the Protest: Protesters used a truck to breach the parliament building, disrupting legislative activities ([10:47]).
• Concerns Raised: The deal grants favorable terms to Russian investors, which locals believe will lead to overdevelopment and loss of natural beauty ([10:47]).
• Political Climate: Abkhazia's reliance on Russian support has fostered resentment among some factions, further fueling anti-Russian sentiments ([12:24]).

Notable Quotes:

• Sascha Slichter: "The opposition says the government is placing the Russians higher than the Abkhaz themselves." ([12:08])
• Protesters: "We fear giving Russians the right to buy property will destroy its natural beauty." ([12:24])

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5. Creepy Crawlies Smuggling Incident in Peru

Overview: A South Korean national was apprehended in Peru for smuggling over 300 venomous tarantulas, 110 centipedes, and nine bullet ants, highlighting the rising illegal trade in exotic insects.

Key Points:

• Detection Method: The smuggler exploited security vulnerabilities, as invertebrates do not set off metal detectors and are not easily detected by X-ray machines ([14:34]).
• Market Demand: The pet trade, especially in regions like Asia, driving the illegal smuggling of valuable species ([15:59]).
• Environmental Risks: Escaped invasive species could threaten local ecosystems, carrying parasites and pathogens ([16:24]).

Notable Quotes:

• Professor Alice Hughes: "He obviously thought he was going to be able to get through security, get on his plane and get home and sell them for a high profit." ([14:34])
• Warren Bull: "Is it an illegal trade?" ([15:00])

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6. Severe Air Pollution Crisis in Pakistan

Overview: Lahore and Multan in Pakistan's Punjab province are grappling with unprecedented levels of air pollution, resulting in health emergencies and mandatory indoor confinement for millions.

Key Points:

• Pollution Levels: Lahore’s Air Quality Index has surged to 1,500, with Multan exceeding 2,000 ([20:33]).
• Government Measures: Immediate actions include halting construction activities and restricting restaurant operations to minimize exposure ([21:30]).
• Long-Term Solutions: Plans involve improving public transport, electrification, and regulating agricultural practices like stubble burning ([22:25]).

Notable Quotes:

• Caroline Davies: "The numbers we've seen in Lahore, over the last two weeks it's been peaking at 1500." ([20:33])
• Caroline Davies: "It is slowly looking like it is going to become a humanitarian crisis." ([21:27])

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7. Afghan Asylum Seekers Facing Migratory Challenges

Overview: Afghan nationals, fleeing Taliban oppression and economic hardship, find their efforts to seek asylum increasingly fraught with dangers due to stringent border crackdowns by neighboring countries.

Key Points:

• Dangerous Journeys: Migrants traverse from Afghanistan to Iran, then Turkey, facing violent resistance and perilous attempts like the 20-foot border wall jump to reach Europe ([23:48]).
• Smuggling Networks: Asylum seekers rely on smugglers despite the high risks of exploitation, injury, or death ([24:20]).
• UK Asylum Policies: The slow progress of UK resettlement schemes forces many to undertake illegal and hazardous routes to reach safety ([27:11]).

Notable Quotes:

• Warren Bull: "We don't force people to take these risks. We tell them they could be killed or imprisoned." ([24:20])
• Asylum Seeker in Liverpool: "I've never done anything illegal, but I was afraid I would be detained and tortured in Afghanistan." ([27:50])

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8. Tesco’s Sunday Opening Sparks Controversy in Isle of Lewis

Overview: Tesco's decision to operate seven days a week in the Isle of Lewis has ignited debate, challenging the island’s longstanding tradition of Sabbath observance.

Key Points:

• Community Division: Over 1,800 residents signed a petition against the Sunday opening, while some support the convenience it offers ([28:13]).
• Cultural Impact: Critics argue that Sunday trading disrupts the traditional day of rest and community cohesion ([28:44]).
• Tesco’s Stance: The retailer claims positive community feedback and aims to respect local traditions while meeting consumer demand ([30:03]).

Notable Quotes:

• Reverend Kenneth Stewart: "There's no need, says the minister, the idea of having that day of rest should be preserved." ([28:44])
• Tesco Representative: "We are confident that opening on Sundays balances demand while respecting local traditions." ([30:03])

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9. Study Reveals Difficulty in Distinguishing AI-Generated Poetry from Human-Created Works

Overview: Recent research published in Scientific Reports indicates that audiences often cannot differentiate between AI-generated and human-written poetry, with a preference leaning toward AI creations for their creativity and emotional depth.

Key Points:

• Study Methodology: AI crafted poems in the styles of renowned poets like Shakespeare. Participants evaluated a mix of AI and human poems without knowing their origins ([28:44]).
• Findings: AI poems received higher creativity and emotional quality scores, challenging traditional notions of poetic authenticity ([29:35]).
• Poet’s Perspective: Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon engaged in a blind test, revealing the nuanced capabilities of AI in mimicking human literary expression ([31:05]).

Notable Quotes:

• Paul Muldoon: "I feel that I am used as a vehicle for the poems, as a medium for the poems." ([32:57])
• Warren Bull: "My mind is being blown here. So the same force that comes through Paul Muldoon you think could come through ChatGPT." ([32:57])

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Conclusion

This episode of the Global News Podcast presents a comprehensive overview of significant international events, ranging from political scandals and environmental crises to cultural debates and technological advancements. Through in-depth reporting and expert insights, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of the complex issues shaping our world today.

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For more detailed discussions and updates, tune into the latest episodes of the BBC World Service’s Global News Podcast.

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Host]

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[Jannat Jaleel]

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[Host]

All from the BBC World Service. This is World of Secrets season five finding Mr. Fox. Search for World of Secrets. Wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

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[Jannat Jaleel]

This is the global news podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Jannat Jaleel and in the early hours of Saturday's 16th of November, these are our main stories. An aide to the Israeli prime minister is accused of trying to alter phone records to make it look as though Benjamin Netanyahu reacted quicker to the Hamas attacks last year. Ukraine's leader responds angrily to a phone call between the German chancellor and the Russian president. South Africa's police minister refuses a request to stop detaining illegal miners who are running out of food as they remain underground. Also in this podcast, they're not going.

[Professor Alice Hughes]

To be detected in an X ray machine. They're not going to set off a metal detector. And so he obviously thought he was going to be able to get through security, get on this plane and get home and sell them for a high profit.

[Jannat Jaleel]

The growing trade in smuggling, tarantulas and other creepy crawlies. The Hamas attacks on October 7 last year will be remembered not only as a day that traumatized Israel, but as possibly the biggest security failure in Israeli history. Now Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing accusations that not only was he too slow to respond respond, but that his aides have been trying to cover up his failures. It's emerged that Police have interviewed Mr. Netanyahu's chief of staff Sahib Raverman on suspicion of trying to alter phone records to make it look like the prime minister responded more quickly to the attack than he did. Mr. Braverman is also accused of taking classified documents. Our correspondent in Jerusalem, Jonathan Beale, told me more about the investigation.

[Narrator]

This has only come to light because a court gagging order was lifted. And we now know that the chief of staff for Benjamin Netanyahu was questioned by police for five hours, which is a pretty long time about phone calls that occurred on the morning of October 7th. And we know that a call took place at 6:29 and there was a call at 6:40. So in other words, 11 minute gap between each call. Now, the official record shows that the call that matters was the 6:40am call where Benjamin Netanyahu talked to his security adviser and issued directions. His Chief of staff, Mr. Braverman, says the discussions about what happened started earlier than the official records show. And more than that, he has changed the official record even after officials refused to do that. Changed the time, not the content, to say that the call where he issued guidance and instructions happened at 6:29 when the official record says it happened at 6:40. So there's that discrepancy. But the question will obviously be did he do it to make his boss look better, that he was taking action quicker than he did, or was there a gap of 11 minutes before he got his, he got everything together and started issuing instructions? We know already that there were huge intelligence failures around the attacks or not October 7th and that some people have resigned as a result. But Benjamin Netanyahu has always said now is not the time for a full investigation because he says Israel has got its hands full fighting wars on multiple fronts. But people are suspicious because after all.

[Jannat Jaleel]

Those October 7th attacks last year by Hamas have been described by many as the biggest military and intelligence failure in Israel's history. So there are many questions that people still want answered. And it all comes, of course, as Benjamin Netanyahu is midway through a trial on corruption charges in which he's due to testify next month.

[Narrator]

Yes, I mean, you know, it's not a great time for him. And he tried to get that trial postponed. And this whole, you know, questions about whether there was a cover up in government, about what happened, about the phone calls, and then what's happened as far as his court appearance, him trying to put off a trial about allegations of corruption, his own difficult inside government with ministers at odds with him not believing his priorities are right, and then obviously trying to keep his coalition together with members of the far right party, the ultra Orthodox Jews, who, you know, not everybody agrees with, certainly, and one of them has been accused of interfering in police affairs recently by the attorney general. Mix it all together and it is potentially a very dangerous time for Benjamin Netanyahu.

[Jannat Jaleel]

Jonathan Beale in Jerusalem. Ukraine has reacted angrily after the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, spoke on the phone to the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the call undermined efforts to isolate Russia, but he's spoken positively about the possible impact of Donald Trump's election victory in the United States, saying the war would end sooner with a new team in the White House, Warren Bull reports.

[Warren Bull]

In their first conversation in two years, Olaf Scholz told Vladimir Putin that Russian troops should withdraw from Ukraine.

[Sascha Slichter]

He said Berlin would support Ukraine for.

[Advertiser]

As long as necessary and that any.

[Warren Bull]

Deal on Ukraine must involve Kyiv.

[Jannat Jaleel]

President Zelensky was dismissive of the phone.

[Advertiser]

Call, saying such talks were very important.

[Warren Bull]

For the Russian leader in his desire to weaken his isolation.

[Advertiser]

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry went further, describing the call as an attempt at appeasement.

[Jannat Jaleel]

Warren Bull, as we record this podcast, a standoff at an abandoned gold mine in South Africa between hundreds of illegal miners who are underground in a disused shaft and police trying to arrest them shows no sign of ending because the miners entered the shaft in Steelfontein deliberately. Desperate to retrieve gold or mineral residues, the authorities have taken a hard line blocking food and water supplies. South Africa's police minister has refused a request stop arresting the miners who eventually emerge. Hundreds have come out, but those who remain are said to be increasingly sick and weak. One body was brought out on Thursday. The national coordinator of Mining Affected Communities United in Action, Meshak Mbangul, called on the government to soften its tough stance.

[Warren Bull]

What you are saying, firstly is let's.

[Sascha Slichter]

Be humane, let's make sure those people are safe.

[Warren Bull]

Let's take out those people out there. It's devastating to hear ministers say we smoke them out when people are down.

[Host]

There because of poverty.

[Warren Bull]

Unemployment rates in South Africa is so high, people are living in poverty, starving. So they went there not just to risk their life, but to put bread on the table.

[Jannat Jaleel]

Our Southern Africa correspondent, Nomsa Maseko has been at the mine in Stillfontein.

[Nomsa Maseko]

The police minister arrived earlier to assess the situation, but he was met by a protest by a group of relatives and community members whose loved ones are still beneath the surface. And the people who were gathering there were quite angry about the government's utterances of saying that they would not send any help underground and that the people who were underground are criminals who deserve to be smoked out. There were those who were supporting the minister's utterances, saying that the people who are underground normally terrorize communities. They are involved in, you know, rape and murder, even though none of them have been charged for that. While others have said that the constitution of this country has said that the right to life is something that should be upheld and that the government of this country has the responsibility to ensure that those who are still underground and are willing to resurface, they are helped and not even arrested because most of them are leaving the loot underground and just coming out with nothing. In terms of the numbers, the volunteers who have been going down underground every day have told us that they believe that it is Thousands, at least 4,000 mineworkers who are underground. But police are saying it's just a few hundred. But you know, whatever the number is, it's still the fact that it's people that are underground. And it is slowly looking like it is going to become a humanitarian crisis. One decomposing body was pulled out. It's unclear how the man died, but police are investigating.

[Jannat Jaleel]

Nomsa Maseko let's go now to the breakaway Georgian republic of Abkhazia, where on Friday demonstrators using a truck stormed the parliament building and presidential complex in protest at a planned real estate deal with Russia as lawmakers had gathered there to discuss it. The Black Sea region is backed by Moscow, but the protesters say they fear giving Russians the right to buy property there will destroy its natural beauty and price them out. Sascha Slichter told us more it all.

[Sascha Slichter]

Started a few days ago when the self styled president of Abkhazia decided to push through a deal he signed with the Russians. And the deal gives favorable terms to Russian investors wishing to place money into Abkhazia. The opposition says the government is placing the Russians higher than the Abkhaz themselves. So the protests started. But in general, Aslan Bzhaniyeh, the self styled Abkhaz president, is very unpopular. So this was almost a pretext. So there were protests and today parliament in the capital Sukhumi was supposed to ratify that agreement, but they couldn't come to an agreement on the agenda. So parliament was suspended. But this didn't appease the protesters. They were chanting and shouting outside parliament. There is a ring of steel around parliament. They drove a truck through the metal gates and then the people poured in. Then they tried to negotiate but they failed. So they broke down the doors and prised open the metal bars on the windows and they Flooded into Parliament.

[Jannat Jaleel]

So it seems in the short term, at least, that these protests have worked. Because what Abkhazians were worried about was that this region, which is famed for its natural beauty, for its beaches, would be covered with apartment complexes owned by Russians.

[Sascha Slichter]

Exactly. It is a magical place, Abkhazia. I spent two summers when I was still a student on the Black Sea in Abkhazia. The lush green hills, flowers, smells of subtropical climate. It's lovely. The Abkhaz are a very, very proud nation. They have a culture of their own. They're an ancient people. They see themselves as completely separate from the Georgians. But some opposition leaders of some parties say that it is too late now and that the President has to go. I mean, all presidents. Abkhazia become unpopular because they are all supported by Russia, because without Russian help, Abkhazia will simply not exist because it's been cut off from Georgia unnaturally. So Russia has to pump in money into Abkhazia for it to be a viable entity. And then the Russians say, well, we need something in return. We're giving you so much money. At least let us invest money or build properties in some nice tourist spots.

[Jannat Jaleel]

Sasha Slichter. Now, it's certainly not the kind of excess baggage I would be tempted to take on a plane. But a South Korean citizen has been stopped by officials leaving Peru with an incredible haul of creepy crawlies hidden on him, more than 300 venomous tarantulas, 110 centipedes and nine bullet ants. Professor Alice Hughes, associate professor of biology at the University of Hong Kong, is an expert on the arachnid trade. Firstly, what were the risks to this smuggler?

[Professor Alice Hughes]

The bullet ants? Those are called bullet ants because when they bite you, it feels like you've been shot. Tarantulas themselves have some degree of venom, so they can deliver a pretty nasty bite. It's not normally fatal, but it's unpleasant. And they're covered in urticating hairs. So if you get those anew, you're also going to develop a very nasty rash. And so it could have been a very unpleasant experience had they escaped on him.

[Warren Bull]

But he must have calculated that the benefits outweighed the risks.

[Professor Alice Hughes]

Well, the thing is, with invertebrates, they're not going to be detected in an X ray machine. They're not going to set off a metal detector. And so he obviously thought he was going to be able to get through security, get on his plane and get home and sell them for a high profit. And the reality is, under the current pet trade market, they are enormously Valuable, given that he had more than 300 individuals in his person, that's a significant profit.

[Warren Bull]

Is it an illegal trade?

[Professor Alice Hughes]

For the tarantulas, it would be an illegal trade because they are listed on something called cites and that means that the international trade of them is meant to be regulated. But for many other spider species, there is virtually no international regulation on trade. So if he had chosen something a little less valuable, actually, he could just have sent it through the post and it probably would not have been detected. But also the legality would be much grayer.

[Warren Bull]

Does that happen, insects being posted?

[Professor Alice Hughes]

Yes. A lot of spiders are sold in boxes. Mystery boxes are one of the most popular ways for enthusiasts to get a new collection of spiders. So you open up your mystery box of spiders and see what comes out. Because typically spiders will be sent in either boxes or if they're smaller, so they're in egg sacs, they'll just be sent in envelopes in the post.

[Warren Bull]

I mean, as you've already said, it's a gray area. Some of this trade is legal, some of it is illegal. But is it growing?

[Professor Alice Hughes]

In parts of the world like Asia, it is unquestionably growing. Again, because there is often limited space within many houses in Asia, having small animals that you can stack up boxes on top of each other in a small space are the ideal pet.

[Warren Bull]

I mean, as far as I understand, tarantulas, bullet ants are not indigen to say, northern, Northern Europe. What are the risks of one of these escaping?

[Professor Alice Hughes]

So it depends where you go. In places like South Africa, they are very careful about the import of spiders for that very reason. There is a very large chance that if your arachnid from South America escaped in South Africa, it could well become naturalized within somewhere like Europe, the climate is much cooler. So in southern Europe they probably would establish. In northern Europe it's going to depend on what species you're looking at. However, those invertebrates can also carry their own parasites and they can carry various pathogens and that would also be a risk to native species.

[Jannat Jaleel]

That was Professor Alice Hughes talking to Julian Marshall. Still to come, can you tell the difference between an AI generated poem? When winter's frost dost chill the wintry air and all the earth is covered in a shroud and the genuine Shakespeare and there reigns love and all love's loving parts and all those friends which I thought buried. A new study reveals that more of us prefer the AI poetry.

[Warren Bull]

When we left, there was this wonderful feeling. But it was only the beginning of a nightmare.

[Host]

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[Warren Bull]

For me, it was going to be.

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[Warren Bull]

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[Host]

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The beds, it can't be.

[Host]

A key suspect was miles away.

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Everything revolved around him.

[Warren Bull]

Who's the boss? A British guy. Fox.

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Fox.

[Host]

This is World of secrets from the BBC World Service. Season five finding Mr. Fox. Search for World of Secrets wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

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[Jannat Jaleel]

You're listening to the global news podcast. As toxic smog continues to blanket northern Pakistan, millions of people in the worst affected province of Punjab have been told to remain indoors. In recent days, the city of Lahore has won the unwelcome distinction of being the world's most polluted city. A health emergency has now been declared in Lahore and another city, Multan. While pollution alerts happen every year, our Pakistan correspondent Caroline Davies says this year's crisis is unprecedented.

[Caroline Davies]

If you bear in mind that anything over 300 on the air quality Index is considered to be hazardous. The numbers we've seen in Lahore, for example, over the last two weeks it's been peaking at 1500, we've seen. And in the city of Multan, which is also quite just a few hours away from Lahore, that has peaked at 2000 and above. So really extraordinarily and unprecedented numbers. The other things that have been fairly extraordinary have been the fact that this is happening a bit earlier in the season than most people would have expected. There to be such dense smog in the area. So.

[Jannat Jaleel]

And why is that? Why is it so bad so early on?

[Caroline Davies]

Because there hasn't been rain, there hasn't been wind to be able to shift this pollution on. It has just sat there. So we're now over two weeks since we first started seeing the levels peaking in Lahore and it's got so thick and so dense that it's now visible from space.

[Jannat Jaleel]

So what are the authorities doing to tackle this?

[Caroline Davies]

Today we heard a sort of fairly dramatic announcement from one of the senior ministers of the Punjab government. They've said that they are stopping construction activities in the city. Brick kilns and furnaces will not be allowed to operate until the 23rd of November. They're also telling restaurants in these two cities that they're not going to be allowed to have customers dine in after 4pm and people be allowed to takeaways after 8pm now you might ask why? How does that help things? The main issue really, I think, is that they're probably wanting people to stop moving around the city and breathing in this large amounts of these toxic fumes and just continuing with life as normal.

[Jannat Jaleel]

But these are all short term measures. What is needed is long term strategy because we hear about this year after year, this smog that descends on this region, largely caused by stubble burning by farmers, but also by factories and traffic. What are the authorities doing to address this?

[Caroline Davies]

Long term, longer term prospects include doing things like improving public transport and making things electrified and having better regulation on places like, you know, with stubble burning. But of course that all requires a budget and a lot of will and enforcement. And that is the big question, is it's relatively easy to make these sorts of promises when you've got big problems being faced right now. The big question and the big test will be whether this is followed through in the course of the next year or so. So that next year is better than.

[Jannat Jaleel]

The Caroline Davies in Islamabad. Afghans, with their long and tragic history, are among the top asylum seekers in the world. The Taliban rulers refusal to let Half the population work or get educated simply because they are female. On top of the extreme poverty caused by decades of war, which sees millions of people going hungry, means that thousands of Afghans try to flee every day. But leaving has become harder than ever, with countries like Pakistan, Iran and Turkey cracking down on illegal migration. Despite this, many Afghans manage to enter the UK illegally in small boats. The BBC has had rare access to those attempting to flee Afghanistan. Our South Asia correspondent, Yogita Limaye, reports.

[Warren Bull]

On the outskirts of Kabul, I've come to a quiet area to meet a man who served in the Afghan military. He's made three unsuccessful attempts to try to get from Afghanistan to Europe in the past two and a half years. We're not identifying him for his safety, but I'm going to ask him that. Why, despite the fact that so many have lost their lives trying to make the journey, that he still wants to make another attempt? I'll keep trying to flee, even if.

[Narrator]

I lose my life.

[Warren Bull]

Our circumstances are such that we are dying every moment. I'm at a bus station in Kabul. It's really bustling. And this is where some of our interviewees have told us. They started their journey out of the country, taking a bus from here to the western border near Iran. That's where they met with people smugglers, who then gave them the route to cross the border. And at each point, they handed from one smuggler to another as they attempt to make their way from Afghanistan to Iran, to Turkey and eventually to Europe. It's a journey that's fraught with risks. A month ago, Iran was accused of indiscriminately shooting at Afghan migrants crossing the border on foot. The BBC has seen verified videos of the dead and injured. If migrants make it through Iran, they have to make a nearly 20 foot jump across a border wall. In videos sent to us by an Afghan Spartan from Iran, he can be heard shouting, run, Run. Don't be scared. Just jump on the other side of the wall. They could be detained and beaten by Turkish border guards. The smuggler sent us one video of Afghans shirtless, hands tied behind their back, some with big bruises, pleading for help. Turkey and Iran have not responded to the allegations. I spoke to the smuggler over the phone. You're endangering the lives of Afghans, taking thousands of dollars from them, engaging in this criminal activity. How do you justify that? We don't force people to take these risks. We tell them they could be killed or imprisoned. What are we supposed to do when people tell us their family is going Hungry in Afghanistan. For those who make it through Turkey, there are more life threatening choices to make. I've come to the grave of a man who served in the Afghan military fighting against the Taliban before 2021. We are not identifying because his family still lives here in Kabul and they fear that there might be reprisal against them. But their fathers agreed to speak to us under the condition of anonymity. The man drowned when the small inflatable dinghy he was in sank soon after it left Turkey for Greece. His father blames foreign countries who were fighting in Afghanistan.

[Narrator]

We were in the trenches together.

[Jannat Jaleel]

If we knew we would be abandoned and betrayed, no one would have joined hands with the international forces.

[Warren Bull]

The UK is where many Afghans want to end up. They are the second biggest group coming to the country in small boats. We've come to Liverpool to meet an asylum seeker. She arrived in the UK in a small boat six months ago. She used to be an employee of the former government of Afghanistan and she protested against the Taliban. She should be eligible for one of the UK's resettlement schemes, but progress has simply been too slow for many at risk, forcing them to take dangerous, illegal routes.

[Jannat Jaleel]

I come from a well known family. I've never done anything illegal, but I was afraid I would be detained and tortured in Afghanistan.

[Warren Bull]

Coming to the UK is a choice many Afghans are forced to make because home can't provide the most basic of needs safety, food, freedom.

[Jannat Jaleel]

That report by Yukita Limaye for the first time this weekend, a major retailer will open for business seven days a week on the Isle of Lewes in the Hebrides, a collection of islands off the north west coast of Scotland. The supermarket giant Tesco will begin trading on Sundays, going against the long standing tradition of observing the Sabbath on the isle. More than 1,800 people have signed an online petition opposing the move. Our Scotland correspondent Katrina renton report.

[Host]

Around 7,000 people live in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewes. Observance of the Sabbath has survived here even after it disappeared from most other parts of Scotland. The Bible's Fourth Commandment lays down that Sunday is a holy day for worship and rest from work and other activities. But much has changed over time. Gone are the Sundays when children's play parks were closed on the island and the swings tied up. Many people do not go to church and over the past 20 years, ferries and flights on a Sunday have been introduced. Some pubs, restaurants and a petrol station with a shop are open. So why not a supermarket? Handy if you find yourself out of bread or milk on a Sunday. There is no need, says Reverend Kenneth Stewart, the minister at Stornoway Reformed Presbyterian Church. That's what neighbours are for.

[Warren Bull]

Most of us have grown up in these island communities where we're thoroughly glued together. If you lack something like that, just knock on your neighbour's door.

[Host]

People we spoke to in the town expressed a range of views.

[Narrator]

It is a tradition that everybody should.

[Caroline Davies]

Have the day off and it is.

[Narrator]

A nice idea to have that day.

[Host]

Of rest and you know that you.

[Warren Bull]

Don'T have to go anywhere. I mean the pubs and all that are open Sunday.

[Jannat Jaleel]

So why not Tesco?

[Warren Bull]

It might be beneficial for some people who might need to use Tesco's.

[Caroline Davies]

I think, you know, it's going to spoil everything.

[Host]

Tesco said it had received a significant amount of positive reaction to the plans and it was confident that the decision to open here on Sundays would allow it to balance the demand for seven day opening while remaining respectful to local traditions and culture.

[Jannat Jaleel]

Katrina Renton Findings published in the journal Scientific Reports reveal that people can't tell the difference between human and AI poetry and sometimes even prefer the non human generated poems. The study used AI to write poetry in the style of 10 poets such as Shakespeare and Sylvia Platinum. Participants were then presented with 10 poems in random order, five from a real poet and five AI imitations. And they scored the AI poems higher, attributing their marks to creativity and emotional quality in the same spirit. Then Anita Anand challenged Pulitzer Prize winning poet Paul Muldoon to detect the human from the AI offering in this test.

[Warren Bull]

Here is take one.

[Jannat Jaleel]

When winter's frost dost chill the wintry air and all the earth is covered in a shroud My thoughts turn to thee, gentle and fair and in thy.

[Warren Bull]

Love I find a warmth endowed Thy.

[Jannat Jaleel]

Bosom is endeared with all hearts which I by lacking had supposed dead and there reigns love and all love's loving parts and all those friends which I thought burier.

[Advertiser]

The first one I think was written by AI because there is of course lots of poetry that is written by real people which is actually not very good.

[Warren Bull]

You're right, you nailed it. The first one was by AI and the second one was by the actual William Shakespeare. Do you know what I did though? I did ask Chatgpt to write me a poem in the style of Paul Muldoon. All right. In the corner of the field where the earth begins its slow turn to stone I find an old man's coat tucked beneath the hedge, Its sleeve still holding the shape of something once Broad shouldered, once hopeful, a songbird hops from branch to branch, Its call a low murmur like a half forgotten name lost in the thicket of half thoughts and wintering. Ok, could you have written something like that?

[Advertiser]

I would hope not. You know, first of all, we are all capable of writing really badly. There's always an element of risk involved. There's always an element of chance. So I myself don't really believe that I write my own poems. I feel that I am used as a vehicle for the poems, as a medium for the poems. So the idea of there being a force in this case the algorithms of computers having some par in the world is not one that I would absolutely discount.

[Warren Bull]

My mind is being blown here. So the same force that comes through Paul Muldoon you think could come through ChatGPT.

[Advertiser]

Here's the big difference. I think when I set out to write a poem or when a poem sets out to write itself through me, I certainly am not thinking of writing a Paul Muldoon poem. I'm thinking of writing something that is definitely not a Paul Muldoon poem.

[Jannat Jaleel]

That was Paul Muldoon talking to Anita Anand. And that's all from us for now. But there will be a new edition of the Global News podcast later. If you want to comment on this podcast or the topics covered or the poems, you can send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk you can also find us on EX Global Newspod. This edition was mixed by Derek Clark. The producer was Alison Davies. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Jeanette. Jaleel. Until next time. Goodbye.

[Warren Bull]

When we left, there was this wonderful feeling, but it was only the beginning of a nightmare.

[Host]

This is a story that started with a job advert, a yacht owner looking for a crew to sell his recently renovated boat from Brazil to Europe. For me, it was going to be.

[Advertiser]

A great adventure and an opportunity to.

[Warren Bull]

Gain a lot of experience.

[Host]

But when police raided the vessel and discovered drugs, cocaine hidden under one of.

[Warren Bull]

The beds, it can't be.

[Host]

A key suspect was miles away.

[Advertiser]

Everything revolved around him.

[Warren Bull]

Who's the boss? A British guy. Fox.

[Advertiser]

Fox.

[Host]

This is World of secrets from the BBC World Server Season 5, Finding Mr. Fox. Search for World of Secrets wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

[Advertiser]

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